Middle Ages

The beauty of the Sainte-Chapelle is unlike that of any other church in Europe. Commissioned during the reign of Louis IX, this monument took approximately six years to build with construction estimated to have finished around April 26, 1248. The chapel was originally built to house various artifacts from the Passion of Christ which included the Crown of Thorns. These artifacts were bought by Louis IX from Emperor Baudouin II of Constantinople, though not without paying a substantial amount of money. The relics were moved to Notre-Dame de Paris after the French Revolution, and were kept there until April 26, 2019 when a fire destroyed parts of the cathedral.

When looking at the exterior, the Sainte-Chapelle resembles any other chapel built in the gothic style. It is the interior that captures the attention of all its visitors. The Sainte-Chapelle is divided into two floors: the lower chapel and the upper chapel. The lower chapel was meant as a place of worship for the palace domestic staff and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The blue ceiling with gold accents immediately catches the attention of any onlookers. Though certainly beautiful in its own right, it pales in comparison to the upper chapel.

The upper chapel is best described as breathtaking. Light pours in through the stained glass windows from all directions. Pink hues dominate the upper chapel and blend with the light to create an even more aesthetically pleasing look. Visitors first notice the blend of colors, but closer examination reveals the details put into making the stained glass. Each panel on these massive stained glass windows represents a scene from the Bible. The colors and light make it so that there is a sense of cohesiveness within the details of the upper chapel, which is what makes this church so unique. Though the upper chapel was reserved only for the royal family and their court, it is now open to all visitors. The Centre des Monuments Nationaux has created an app that even allows visitors to discover the secrets of the stained glass windows. Simply by taking a picture of a particular panel, visitors can enrich their understanding of the Sainte-Chapelle.

References

“26 Avril 1248 Consécration De La Sainte-Chapelle.” 26 Avril 1248 – Conscration De La Sainte-Chapelle – Herodote.net, 16 Apr. 2019, www.herodote.net/26_avril_1248-evenement-12480426.php.

“Application : Percez Les Secrets Des Vitraux.” Centre Des Monuments Nationaux, Centre Des Monuments Nationaux , www.sainte-chapelle.fr/Actualites/Application-Percez-les-secrets-des-vitraux.

Croire. “La Sainte Chapelle.” Croire, La Croix Croire, 15 Apr. 2014, croire.la-croix.com/Definitions/Figures-spirituelles/Saint-Louis/La-Sainte-Chapelle.

“Sainte Chapelle De Paris : Gothique Rayonnant, Apogée De L’Art Médiéval.” Le Blog De Paris, 16 May 2011, parisii.fr/2011/05/sainte-chapelle/.

Image

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle#/media/File:La-Sainte-Chapelle-interior.jpg

...everything is already present, though hidden.
–Hildegard of Bingen

We’re drawn to the grandeur of Gothic cathedrals—height, history, stained glass, light. So old! So holy! So overwhelming!

I’ve made my way to Chartres Cathedral several times in the last twenty years, and each visit allows me to know the space more intimately. With each day spent wandering the Cathedral, its light, colors, and shapes become more deeply rooted in my internal landscape. Likewise, I think that through my thought and presence, I become part of the very long history of Notre-Dame de Chartres. I believe that different versions of myself linger in the transepts, the ambulatories, and on the 13^th century labyrinth.

During my last visit to Chartres, the Cathedral was cold and hushed. More than usual, I absorbed detail. A small, dried bouquet tacked to a column, a group of women praying the rosary at the foot of a statue of the Virgin Mary, a tunic-shaped keyhole on the North Porch of the church. The decoration had been already present, though hidden to me, lost among the statues of Old Testament figures. The minute detail announces that Notre-Dame de Chartres houses the Sancta Camisia, a veil that is believed to have been worn by the Virgin Mary. A sacred relic, the garment was given to Chartres in 876 by Charlemagne’s grandson, Charles the Bald. The Sancta Camisia has been credited with protecting the Cathedral over the centuries, and it is still an object of devotion for pilgrims.

Each of my occasional Chartres pilgrimages helps me to unlock present-hidden parts of myself. The knowledge doesn’t reside in the Cathedral like I once thought. Rather, I believe that sacred places emanate a peaceful beauty that enables us to access the wisdom we already possess.

La Sainte-Chapelle, Shanze Arshad

Keyhole